as to render it important that it should be brought into exercise on the smallest occasions."

THE REFORMER AND THE QUAKER.

A COUNTRY clergyman was boasting in a large company, of the success, he had met with in reforming his parishioners, on whom his labours, he said had produced a wonderful change for the better. Being asked in what respect, he replied, "that when he came first among them, they were a set of unmannerly clowns, who paid him no more deference than they did to one another; did not so much as pull off their hat when they spoke to him, but bawled out as roughly and familiarly as though he was their equal; whereas, now, they never presumed to address him but cap in hand, and in a submissive voice, made him their best bow when they were at ten yards distance, and styled him your reverence at every word." A Quaker who had heard the whole patiently, made answer, "and so, friend, the upshot of this reformation, of which thou hast so much carnal glory, is that thou hast taught thy people to worship thyself,"

THE USEFUL REPROOF.

MR. Henry Staples, a holy minister of the seventeenth century, had a remarkable talent for religious conversation. Wherever he visited, he used to drop some useful words, and, even on

the road he would often speak to strangers concerning the affairs of their souls. Having occasion to attend the assizes at Molingar, in Ireland, a profane butcher occupied a stall just under his window at the inn. Mr. Staples, hearing him swear, opened the casement, reproved him, and shut it again. The butcher continuing to multiply his oaths, Mr. Staples set the window open, that he might the more readily continue his reproofs, which at first he entertained with all imaginable contempt. At length however, Mr. Staples observed that the butcher whenever he dropt an oath, looked up to see whether Mr. Staples noticed it. This encouraged him to persist in his reproofs, which he did to good purpose; for not only a present reformation took place, but the man was led into serious reflection on his ways, and a change was produced. Some time after, when Mr. Staples came that way, he paid him the greatest respect, confessed his past folly, and thanked him for his kind reproof. To another person he said, "This good man has saved my soul from hell!"

RESPECT TO WISE AND GREAT MEN.

THE peculiar excellencies of great men certainly deserve our admiration; and it is much better to see merit rewarded by the tribute of praise, than to behold it the occasion of envy, as is too frequently the case. We should be cautious, however, of running into an extreme; for while we justly acknowledge the talents of

the wise, we should carefully avoid the incense of flattery. The view of great qualities, and the remembrance of distinguished characters, will always be grateful to a wise and good man; but he must not forget that all the excellencies of mortals are only a few emanations from Him who is the fountain of all life, light, and perfection.

Sir Isaac Newton was so esteemed, that the Marquis de l'Hopital, one of the greatest mathematicians of the age, said to the English who visited him, "Does Mr. Newton eat, drink, or sleep, like other men? I represent him to myself as a celestial genius, entirely disengaged from matter."

Such was the respect paid to Shakespeare by the public in general, that when the mulberry tree planted upon his estate by his own hands was cut down, not many years ago, the wood, being converted to several domestic uses, was all eagerly bought at a high price, and each single piece treasured up by its purchaser as a precious memorial of the planter.

Bishop Atterbury having heard much of Dr. Berkley, wished to see him; accordingly he was introduced by the Earl of Berkley. After some time, Mr. Berkley quitted the room; on which Lord Berkley said to the Bishop, "Does my cousin answer your Lordship's expectations ?" The bishop, lifting np his hands in astonishment, replied, "So much understanding, so much knowledge, so much innocence, and such humility, I did not think had been the VOL. III. B b

portion of any but angels, till I saw this gentle

man.'

Pope sums up his character in one line. After mentioning some particular virtues that distinguished other prelates, he ascribes

"To Berkley every virtue under Heaven."

Such were the accomplishments, wit, learning, judgment, elocution (together with a graceful person), and behaviour of that eminent divine William Cartwright, that Bishop Fell paid him this encomium, "that he was the utmost that man could come to."

Scarce any man was ever more honoured, alive as well as dead, than Livy, the Roman historian. Pliny the younger relates, that a native gentleman travelled from Gades, in the extremest parts of Spain, to see Livy ; and though Rome abounded with more stupendous and curious spectacles than any city in the world, yet he immediately returned; as if, after having seen Livy, nothing farther could be worthy of his notice.

Several persons who had read Justus Lipsius' works, in Sarmatia, made a voyage into the Low Countries on purpose to see him.

The first time that the celebrated Abbadie heard Saurin preach, he exclaimed, "Is it an angel, or a man!"

Mr. Locke thus speaks of Dr. Pococke: "I can say of him what few men can say of any friend of their's, nor I of any other of my acquaintance; that I don't remember I ever saw in him any one action that I did or could in my own mind blame, or thought amiss in him."

Some years ago, a traveller passing through Clermont wished to see the country house of the famous Bishop Massilon, in which he used to spend the greatest part of the year. He applied to an old vicar, who, since the death of the bishop, had never ventured to return to that country house, where he who inhabited it was no longer to be found. He consented, however, to gratify the desire of the traveller, notwithstanding the profound grief he expected to suffer in revisiting a place so dear to his remembrance. They accordingly set out together; and the vicar pointed out every particular place to the stranger. "There," said he, with tears in his eyes," is the valley in which the excellent prelate used to walk with us. There is the arbour in which he used to sit and read. This is the garden he took pleasure in cultivating with his own hands." Then they entered the house; and, when they came to the room where Massilon died, "This," said the vicar, "is the place where we lost him!" and as he pronounced these words, he fainted. The ashes of Titus, or of Marcus Aurelius, might have envied such a tribute of regard and affection.

Dr. Knox, in his Christian Philosophy, bears the following respectable testimony to the character of Dr. Watts. "For my own part, I cannot but think this good man approached as nearly to Christian perfection as any mortal ever did in this sublunary state; and therefore I consider him as a better interpreter of the Christian doctrine than the most learned critics, who, proud of their reason and their learning, despised or